


Bounce (Secret)

by blindtaleteller



Series: Platovember Prompts 2020 [24]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, Injury, Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Lokiverse - Freeform, Mixology (Lokiverse), Platovember 2020, SHIELD, Secrets, Surprises, conjoined AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:33:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28140204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blindtaleteller/pseuds/blindtaleteller
Summary: Barely escaping assassination on the D.C. streets, Nick Fury manages to get to the one place he can think might be honestly clean and clear with Hill having been three or four hours out. Trying not to pass out while he waits for Rogers in his apartment; someone completely unexpected walks through the front door: and ends up throwing the night and Nick's brain into even more chaos between facts and theory...
Relationships: platonic - Relationship
Series: Platovember Prompts 2020 [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999015
Kudos: 9
Collections: Loki, Platonic Relationships, Prompted Writing





	Bounce (Secret)

**Author's Note:**

> Door/Universe 6, right next to Gin (D5.) I wasn't really saving this one? But when the very rarest of muses raises his hand to take the lead? Pretty much every one else goes quiet to hear what they wanna say.
> 
> I almost never write for Nick Fury as a perspective; not because the muses don't exist (of course,) but because they're just plain quiet by comparison to the rest. It's kind of like they save it all up for moments like this or summat. I dunno. Anyways! This one takes place during what equates to the beginning of Captain America: Winter Soldier, and it gets fast paced really quick, but when you consider who's present and what's going on; probably not that surprising?
> 
> XD  
> Enjoy!

  * IDENTIFY LOCATION: CYCLOPS - DIMENSIONAL IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED : HVRA0616-9H-06
  * \---INTER-UNIVERSAL DOORWAY ENTRY POINT H6 : OBSERVATIONAL STATUS - TVA INTERFERENCE : _NONE DETECTED_
  * \---- MIDGARD: NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT: VISITATION CAUTIONS _HEAVILY_ _ADVISED :_ WASHINGTON D.C.
  * \------KNOWN DOMESTIC TIME VARIANCE : 8:34 PM US EST : 2014



##  ** -=+Bounce+=- **

Tired.

_Sleep?_ Not an option.

Barely got the player going; but concentrating on the old-ass tune coming from it was keeping him almost as awake as the adrenaline-soaked uncertainty that came with the question mark as to whether or not Nick had actually managed to lose his pursuers: or whether they were just catching up and taking a position. Needed to pass it off, at least: make this visible. With Carter clueless and down the hall, that would be a little easier _if_ that was the case. If it wasn't..well. Maybe he wouldn't need that extra safety net.Time was not on his side though. He had almost an hour maybe? Forty minutes at the least.

No idea when Rogers would walk in from his left. He just had to stay conscious. The anesthetic was starting to wear off; and actually: that was helping. Nothing like a hard, pulsing, stabbing throb through your left arm to test you awake one moment and threaten to put you to sleep the next though. So that record player was yes, actually helping being cranked up just at head level. Keeping his presence secret, for now. Guessing the words when he heard the lock click; really hoping that wasn't the girlfriend Nick was --at the moment-- extra grateful for just then when having found one of their devices: she had spurred Rogers into sussing out the rest, making a habit of it randomly since. Really, _damned grateful;_ because talking was going to be a lot faster than one-handed typing on his phone.

That lack of ears in the room was a blessing in that regard. Not being able to see who and what was coming though; that hopped up his danger sense regardless. The fact the one coming in wasn't quiet about it though; that helped. Keys jangling; paper bags crunching along the way. The voice surprised him a little though, half laughing. " Sorry I'm late... that woman at the market decided to try another go at me. I _did,_ manage to get another gun though; she didn't even notice me nicking it this time I swear. " Was a man, not a woman, calling ahead farther in as they came down the hall. " Stopped at the mill to make up for it however." British accent, dark hair.

Couldn't see his face as he made for the kitchen;if only because of the bag of what looked like art supplies --rolled canvas, a few frames, huge pad of paper?-- from it's bottom all the way past to that turn to the table across the apartment, directly in front of him. Dark auburn hair at a long, messy set of braids tugged back by the upper half at the top of his head into a weird loop, tall and trim; tight muscle: like a medium to lightweight boxer. Sleeveless 'FITE ME' printed in cracked bright white across the shoulders of hoodie not quite as dark as the long lines of tattoos down and then wrapping around his forearms that Nick couldn't quite make out, they were small and numerous enough. Faded black jeans, combat boots. A whole lot of metal accessories.

No pause, and the voice was itching, because; it sounded damned familiar the longer he was talking. " You aren't _still_ angry at me for the satellite dish, are you? Needed the parts, you know. Shield's are better than trying to bust open that decrepit thing the next building over for half the quality... " Sugar poured into the container, the pancake mix up into the open cupboard with the other hand; and that was when he just stopped. It took Nick a count of almost five to realize why; and cock the hammer back between that and what he'd just said. It was the glasses on the first shelf. Reflection gave him away. Nick was too dark against those paler walls and he knew it.

He didn't turn, just sighed. " _...well. **This** was bound to happen eventually.._ " Before the conversation in the hall started up. Rogers' voice, and Carter's. Offering to give her money for the machine in the basement after she mentioned it was eating quarters. The inevitable denial, and he was opening the door while she mentioned he'd left his radio on; and he sighed, chuckled it off and passed it as probably being the girlfriend since she had a key and he was late coming back. Nick's eyes were on the redhead as Steve closed the door behind him. " Hey Lo, have you been messing with my -- " and was cut off between the suppressed shots Nick fired off with that fast flipping-on his heel motion, surprised as the Rogers was when two things registered within four seconds.

First of all, Nick hit; with both bullets: and neither one even made the guy stumble or grip with the center body mass shots. Second? There were now the hilts of two blades sticking in his peripherals between the headrest of the lazy boy he'd propped himself into; and the shelf right next to it at eye level. " ** _...shit._** " from the redhead as he focused on one of those hilts and the " _..oh hell._ " from what he knew was Steve's voice for the half second after it took Steve to clear the short hallway and likely get an eyeful of him was just as quickly cut as a thought as well as killing any process when said redhead was rushing him and telling Rogers " Because of _course_ it's _Fury.._ Rogers, get your shield and close the blinds, **_now!_** " hissed, _really confused_ Nick, and more so as he brought his eye up at him and got a solid look at the face of said redhead.

Because _what the fuck;_ and _all right **that**_ was mind-blowing. He didn't know what was _more_ shocking; that though changed slightly, that was _definitely **Loki's** face:_ or that he was definitely checking him over for injury instead of grabbing one of those very much in reach blades and slicing his throat open. Nick just.. _could not;_ all of that had crashed in so fast. And maybe, nope scratch that; _definitely less so_ for the fact Steve was back and forth and peeking out the window with the red white and blue; doing _exactly_ what he'd been told while asking " The _hell_ did I come home to..? " in a hiss of his own. Nick meant to ask pretty much the same thing from a totally different angle; though he was tempted to squeeze off another round right then instead while Loki beat him to the saying words bit.

" What does it _look like_ Steven? This is _exactly_ what I've been saying.. _here, like this?_ Looks like Fury _finally_ stumbled over at least one of the operatives slinking around inside Shield's walls. "

" I don't-- " was fast cut off as a nay-saying attempt, and wow. Honestly, not Steve, but the fact Loki had pegged it so fast kind of ticked him off. More so that he implied he knew already with those words. " Why would he come **_here_** _like this_ otherwise, rather than another agent? He's been _entirely screwed.._ " and squeezing his arm; stopping when that made Nick cringe and bring his gun up again to focus back on Fury with grey-green eyes and ask " _..broken?_ " and get a slow, understandably distrustful shake of his head as that and other things started to sink in.

" ..Rogers. _Why,_ and _how the **hell;**_ is _Loki_ in your damned apartment..? " was the first solid, equally hissed question that forced it's way out of his mouth; _to which;_ they shared a look that, combined with how he'd come in clicking together, the fact that not a single agent had been able to peg even a description on the girlfriend this past year and a half: told him one of the answers right in the door. " You gotta be _kiddin'_ me. _You're_ the one that covered him? "

" _Unimportant_ at the moment _I_ think; though you _should_ be grateful for it. You have something they want? Or did you just _see_ something.. ? " Steve was moving to check the other window, very carefully. But he was listening.

And well; much as he hated this scenario? This was the help he had. If Loki was part of it he probably wouldn't have missed at that range, would he. " Dunno, truthfully. Flash drive's probably part of it.. left coat pocket. " The mostly disguised Asgardian fugitive was in there and -- okay, he literally just pushed it up into thin air to make it disappear before snapping at Steve and then the table " ..frames, he needs a splint. " which Rogers got right away, snagging two pieces of canvas frame from that bag on the kitchen table and rushing them back to him. Knotted off length of bootlace cut free, then the other with one of the knives: and the splint was taking fast shape around his bad arm. " Start _**talking,** director._ The more information passed the better, just in case.. "

" The room clean, Lo? " had his one eye sticking Steve where he was back to his other side, and getting a nod and " I ran the check when I came in, so; no one's listening. Injuries look to be _mostly_ internal. That's.. either _very_ good or _very bad._ "

" _Probably_ bad. " offered up because okay yes he believed it was clean when this was the scenario. If it wasn't; Loki would've been made a lot sooner. " Got me on the road.. facing it up with a bunch of cop cars and uniforms, some van. Wasn't looking hard enough ta see if they managed SWAT or an unmarked. Long story _short,_ I got loose for a while but some masked hippie with a grenade launcher flipped the car. Big guy, long dark hair. No one I recognized. " wasn't news they liked any more than Nick liked it, or the fact Loki of all fucking people was getting him road-patched.

" External asset, likely. Can you mo-- " And _**fuck**_ his arm felt the sudden yank forward; and he felt the double impact almost as well as he heard the rounds piercing the wall behind him, the bang not delayed enough to have been a long-shot. Nick just ...didn't feel it _the way_ he expected to. Instead of blowing a lung or passing out from the pain? Nick realized he was being _pushed_ by the force of it as the dust settled: rather than it going through him. The seconds after had him refocusing from the only actual pain he got out of it, and the fact he was spooned forward at a deep bend between his knees not from the shots connecting with him? But with the man who had yanked him forward and curled his back in between the incoming and Nick's back. The choking, growled in breath of " _..all right;_ " and " **_Now,_** I'm right pissed. " and the snap of Loki's arm for Steve's still to their left from behind him?

Fury was pushed back into the shock of realizing Thor's adopted brother had literally just yanked him forward into that half bend, hopped to the short space between him and the wall: and taken two armor piercing rounds for him. " _Don't_ go out there. He's using those rounds from outside _for a reason._ " _What. The **fuck,**_ was going on. " _...I've been teleported to another damn reality._ " about summed up the only thoughts left in Nick's head for the next five seconds.

" _...if **only.**_ " still aggravated from Loki and; he was moving to sit behind him. " Stay there. He'll have noticed now; thermals likely with that accuracy. Brick walls are eating half the rounds' efficiency.. and might _bruise_ me a bit, but they'll _definitely **kill** you_ if he connects. Steve.. _shield-peek?_ " and he was doing just that: shield up, peeking out the window.

And sure enough; a shot rung off it before Carter was coming in with the signal of the front door banging from it's kick-in against the hall wall. Pushed Steve's shoulders back an inch with the hold having been half expecting it. " Captain Rogers? "

" Stay in the hall..! " from Loki was followed up by Steve calling after " Do as he says! Armor piercing rounds; we can't shield _two_ of you: but they probably won't make you through two walls _and_ the stuff in the closet! "

Fury heard her call it in while Loki took a moment to snag the other blade he'd left in the shelf. " ..he's either reloading, _or_ he's making for one of the windows. "

" Could be running. " got a shake of head Nick could feel but not see with the way the Asgardian was cupped over and around him like a tortoise shell. " _...no,_ he came _all this way_ and went _this_ far; _he'll know:_ he misses his window _now?_ He won't get another without _even more_ work, if at all. Get in front of him? Fury's thick enough, I can only cover three sides. " He was flipping that blade, keeping Nick's head down; and for a _moment,_ even before he said it while they were listening: Nick could feel the count he was marking with that motion too. " _I lied._ Get ready to burst a run through the debris for the fire escape when I push you, Nick. Steven, you'll have to cover him all the way down. You drop over the wide side of the rail at the second floor; Nick. There's a mattress we've been keeping in place just for this kind of scenario. It'll break your fall. "

" _Debris..?_ "

" As I said; _I lied.._ I was wrong. He's coming through the apartment floor _above us._ Steve.. get him to my car. "

" I don't like this. I should stay wi-- "

" Out of _all_ of us? _I'm_ the bulletproof one. Remember the two o'clock jumper? We're going with _**that** plan._ " understandably shut down all arguments, just in time for that thump up above; followed immediately by the rocking boom. The ceiling was coming in, just as Nick was pushed clear under it. Happening too fast, but not so fast Nick forgot how to follow directions. Couldn't see what was going on and didn't need to; making as quick a hobble for the same window he'd come in around the corner as the brawl started in the still falling cloud of drywall, wood and metal frame.

He heard Carter's weapon go off. Three rounds and the " _..truly?!_ " incredulous and downright annoyed that meant she had _definitely_ aimed at the wrong guy. They were still at it though. He could hear the wall taking heavy impact after heavy impact through something metal as he got out that window: " _Get **out** before he gets one up and **shoots** you, woman!_ " Steve right there with him. All he could equate the sound with was a battering ram, which told him as he hurried over the sill and right into the downward direction of those steps that Loki was probably punching the guy into the rest of the drywall.

Down, over the edge. Falling glass on their side just as they landed; an actually _audible from down there growl_ and more shots: the fight had gotten to the window above. Steve in the driver's seat instantly pulling them forward off the corner while Nick was still closing the door to the four door, stopping there unexpectedly: and Fury was looking up at the corner of the building as Steve hissed next to him " _..come on, come **on** Loki.._ " just in time to see the brick crack with a little plume of dust in the dim from the nearest streetlight and bow outwards with what he guessed was another booming hit, just a fraction of a second before one of them was out that front corner window like a thrown stone wrapped in loose chalk, half balled: and why they stopped there was made obvious when the roof of their car caved under his weight, a knife digging in to stab through about the middle between their heads before the double thump to the top had Steve peeling rubber away from the curb with what he guessed was Loki still on the hood. Three seconds once they were actually stable on the road was all it took for him to reach and punch in that back window and swing himself in through it, grumbling curses and still brushing drywall from his face, shaking it out of his hair.

" ...so _that_ was a thing; where're we going? " Steve, trying to watch between the road and their unexpected ally. Nick wasn't complaining they were alive, but yeah. Looking at that face in particular was still itching the temptation to scream along the back of his throat.

" Left, off this street; this one's resilient: he won't take long to get after us. " as Nick stared at him, because and of course he was.

" ..what the fuck _**just** happened?!_ " didn't get an answer from Steve, just a re-grip on the steering wheel when he made a right after that initial left, while the red-headed but definitely still Loki, " ..of _**all** the damned people_ I thought I _might_ find in your apartment?! That _**ain't** one of 'em_ in the back seat! "

Quiet, for five seconds, before said backseat driver was laughing; or trying to, before he choked to a stopping cough on " ...bloody _ugh; **drywall..** that's just **..nasty...**_ and, he's _still_ following. "

The screech of tires behind them after that last turn, the rumble of a motorcycle; Nick only got a brief half-turned view of the headlight before Loki was up in his view: blocking the next spray of bullets at the back of the sporty, older _whatever_ they were in. " ..I loved this jacket. _Persistent bastard..._ " he was kicking out that back window. " ..turn down that next alley, left again. _Don't slow down._ After I jump out? Head down to that place I told you about on Fourth; I'll meet you there. And get your head down, Nick. "

Nick _did not_ need to be told twice; though Steve needed a brief reminder of something that made no sense to him, he was pretty sure he'd find out if they got that far: " Third bar turned to the right, _right?_ "

" **Yes.** Second level down. Don't forget about the cameras either. " he was out the back window and rolling up to clothes lining the motorcyclist right off his bike; before either of them could say or ask anything else: and right back into a fistfight with the guy all over again. That was when Nick got a better look. " ...metal arm huh. That's great.. at least now I know I ain't bein' insulted with the choice an' price of the assassins. "

" You know the guy after all? " And a second spray had Nick ducking down lower and planting his knees almost in the dash as a result while Rogers drove them.. well where ever they were going off Fourth. " Know _**of** him;_ Romanov's had a close call. No name on the guy. Thought he was just a story myself, with _how long_ those stories been told. " However, that wasn't what was on his mind just now. " You are not, changing this subject right now though. Seriously?! Loki! In your damned apartment?! _That's_ the girlfriend?! "

Steve was blowing out a long breath as his initial answer, which was almost answer enough all on it's own. He was too pissed and hopped up on adrenaline and pain again to pass out, or ask another question just that second. Steve took his time saying anything; too focused on driving, and that was fine with him. Better focused than distracted. So long as he did eventually answer him. " I'll tell you the whole story when we get there, but right now? All you need to keep in mind is we're not out of the woods yet; but: while we're on the way? And, I'll ask you to remember that the reason why we're on our way is because he probably just saved both our lives just now. "

" Honestly? " Yeah, that was part of it. " That pisses me off more. "

" Yeah, I know... " sounded more irritated and exasperated then he wanted to be; or maybe vice versa. " And I get it, I do. I questioned it myself for a while. Was ready to turn him in; except he's kept his word. And.. what he said about the scepter and the convoy that was supposed to be taking it, actually panned out to match up. "

And that, had Nick's attention, and also gave him a point to focus on. " What about, the scepter. "

" Someone snatched it after it had been boxed. It never got to where it was going. The convoy went straight back to base; but the glow stick never even made it into the truck. " had Nick's brows coming down and in, before Steve said. " Loki saw the switch happening out front through the windows while Stark and that guy, Pierce were arguing over him and the Tesseract with Thor. One or more in that knot, probably planned that distraction when they came down faster than they expected. " Nick hadn't been on site yet, by that point: but he _had_ seen the footage. Knew Loki had taken advantage of it too: tossing an agent over his brother's head like a sandbag, kicking the other into Stark's ass and grabbing the case before he slipped behind and past a Hulk angry at the fact he'd been made to take the stairs: and made off with it into the small crowd that had been jolted into running away as a result.

They'd had him on camera until he was part of that crowd; but no one could pin him for the minutes after he'd likely shifted out of it again, without the pretty silver case he'd emptied of the Tesseract before ditching it. " And the Tesseract? "

" I know where it is, but haven't seen it since he moved it. We're headed there now. Nick.. " that fast glance his way, a serious expression as he'd been sporting the whole way. " ..please understand, after literally watching the scepter disappear like that, probably out of Shield hands? I didn't know who to trust besides him, from there. " Fury got it, he did: even before he finished saying it: because look where he was now himself and what had just happened to his day. It was the exact same reason he'd chosen Rogers' apartment in the first place.

" You coulda disappeared. " The speed was coming down; but Nick was not getting up. He knew better. As it was, it was a risk with Steve driving. " Could I? " as an answer to that had him looking up at him. " We still don't know where it is -- the scepter -- and have only managed to suss out a handful of the agents dug into Shield; but Nick? It looks bad. Most of the task force is on the list we have managed and: they take orders from pretty high up the chain of command. "

" ...you suspected _me._ "

" Loki pointed this out to me repeatedly, but. Wouldn't _you?_ "

And there was no denying that. Not in the slightest. Cue the long, sputtering sigh that ended on a cough between the plaster dust and just plain shit bruised, half broken mess he was. _Better'n dead though._ He had to admit that. " Fair enough. " was less grudging to admit as Nick's head started to piece everything together. " ..so you been keeping the world's most wanted war criminal secret and close enough ta pass as a girlfriend for the past two years? " pulled a similar sigh out of Rogers. " Right under my nose? "

" The girlfriend thing was his idea. " as they took the next turn. " He said if I pushed the protecting someone I cared about guilt card, you'd cave and mostly leave it be. " had his brow coming in farther before Steve said. It was " Something about you doing the same for Agent Barton, helping him keep people off Shield files and the grid. " that sent both eyebrows right through the roof of the car though, and sucked in a breath that had him coughing hard real fast. _Seriously?_ Loki knew about that huh.

" Me and him're gonna have a conversation or five when we meet up again. " came out only after he'd cleared the gob of nasty out of his throat almost a minute later at the next light.

Which, apparently was funny to Rogers; if only a little. A small, scoffing snort of a laugh that went with a shake of his head.

" Good luck getting more out of him than I have. He's been forthcoming as he's needed to be, mostly; but. _Like you?_ He likes his secrets... "

" _Naw, **really?**_ I couldn't tell... " Though.. Nick had to admit: he was one very large part grateful for that fact just then.

One part grateful, and one part _\--yes he could admit it given he wasn't sporting two holes in his chest where those armor piercing rounds would have hit, alone--_ very impressed.


End file.
